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Message of the Day
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- Ash Wednesday
Prayer, mercy and fasting: These three are one, and they give life to each other. Fasting is the soul of prayer; mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing. So if you pray, fast; if fast, show mercy; if
you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. When you fast, see the fasting of others. If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give.
- Peter Chrysologus (A good summary of the traditional Lenten disciplines. How might you put them into
practice this season?)
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Readings of the Day
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Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor
5:20—6:2 Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give
alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your
left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash
your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay
you." USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.” —Joel 2:12
On the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, we hear the words from the priest, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Lent is a time of repentance and discipline. Like Job, we “repent in dust and ashes” (Jb 42:6).
Dust plays a role in the cycle of repentance. Jesus spent forty days in the dust of the desert. He had no need to repent, for He had never
sinned. Yet Jesus did “not disdain the discipline of the Lord” (Heb 12:5). The discipline in the dust of the desert led to the mortification of the cross. During Jesus’ Passion and death, His blood spilled upon the dust of the earth. Thus the Lord answered the age-old cry of the dust for reparation (see Gn 4:10). Embrace the dust and ashes of Lenten repentance; embrace the discipline called for in the
dust of the Lenten desert. Stay by the Cross of Christ, and let Him transform your dust and ashes into His fruitful garden soil, so you can bear a fruitful harvest for Jesus (Mk 4:20). Prayer: Father, make this Lent the most fruitful of my life. Do in me whatever You must in order to do through me whatever You will. Promise: “Then the Lord was stirred to concern for His land and took pity on His people.” —Jl 2:18 Praise: Praise the Holy Spirit, Who leads us into the desert to be freed (Lk 4:1). Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter 2: Jesus' Teachings on the Holy
Spirit - Selected quotes Third Teaching: Jn. 15:20
Jesus will send the Advocate from the Father - She is the Spirit of
truth - She will testify on Jesus’ behalf A. Sent from the Father. This grouping of teachings is a little more theological. Jesus notes that the Spirit proceeds from the Father, just as he notes elsewhere that he was sent by the Father. This was an important point as he is
establishing a parallel between his mission and that of the Spirit. The two missions are both willed by the Father for the good of the human race; both are necessary to accomplish the Father’s will on earth as in heaven. B. Spirit of Truth. The Spirit is about truth, not pretense. When we are willing to really get at the truth of an issue, we can be sure that calling on the Spirit
will bring results. It doesn’t matter if we are dealing with religious truth or searching for answers in other areas of life. The Spirit of Truth desires that truth be extolled and will help us find our way. C. Testify on Jesus’ behalf. Here again the meaning of the words used are important. To testify is to give witness—even in a solemn manner—and to do so in Jesus’ behalf
means to do so in support or defense of him. Believers of Christ may be assured that when Christ’s good name and teaching is being misrepresented or defiled, the Spirit will rise in the heart of the believer, prompting one to take a stand for Jesus. The Spirit will also give one the right words and approach to take. When have you been moved to “testify on Jesus’
behalf?” How does it feel to be used by the Spirit during such times?
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